Chapter Fifteen
Spence left Madison standing in the shade of the cottonwood trees, unholstered his Glock and ran at top speed toward the long flat-top horse barn.
Though he still wore a suit and tie, he transformed into a trained Army Ranger, primed for action.
Damn, he missed his combat boots and fatigues.
He dashed up the hill and crossed the backyard, where the crowd had not dispersed.
If anything, there appeared to be even more of them.
They multiplied, creating a human traffic jam.
He skirted the edge of several groups, ignoring the greetings from friends and family while trying to hide the fact that he was armed.
When he dodged around a foursome of older gents, his grandpa joined him.
Matching him stride for stride, Oliver Cameron didn’t hesitate to draw his Smith & Wesson revolver from a belt holster.
At the outer corner of the horse barn, Spence came to a halt and flattened his back against the wall, which was painted red like the house with a corral outside the stalls at the rear.
He spotted Jamison and two other security guys approaching the front entrance.
After Spence slipped on his glasses, he nodded to his grandpa. “Stay out of this, sir. We’ve got it covered.”
“You might need an extra gunman,” Oliver said, only slightly winded from his sprint across the yard. “You aren’t the only one with a military background.”
Jamison caught Spence’s eye and signaled that he intended to enter the building. Rossi had joined him and took a position on the opposite side of the wide and open barn door. Agent Jamison went by the book, announcing his presence. “Federal agents. We’re coming in.”
The answer was a burst of gunfire.
Finally, the people in the yard reacted, shouting and running and not knowing where to turn. Mothers grabbed their children. Friends huddled together. Spence nodded to his grandpa. “You want to be useful? Holster your gun and get this crowd under control.”
“You’re right. We don’t want collateral damage.” Oliver went into action, striding toward the people, directing them to take cover and pointing the way. His white-haired buddies backed him up. In a few moments, they brought order to the scene.
While Jamison and his team prepared to make a tactical entry, Spence noticed another door, halfway down the barn from where he was standing. It swung open, shielding the person coming out from view. Spence moved closer, biding his time, lining up a shot.
A tall lean man with shiny black hair staggered outside. In his right hand, he held a gun. His left arm wrapped around Mollie’s waist and arms, dragging her with him and using her as a human shield. There was something wrong with his face—a rash or a burn. Or pepper spray.
Spence gave Mollie a silent round of applause.
She must have zapped this guy with her homemade formula.
Moving closer, Spence slid his weapon back into the holster.
He couldn’t take a chance on firing. Not with Mollie in the way.
His attack would have to be hand-to-hand combat. He relished the thought.
Creeping along the wall of the barn, he got within ten feet of the guy, close enough to recognize him from photos in spite of the red blotches on his face and neck. This was the big honcho himself: Julio Flores.
He sighted Spence and raised his weapon. “Not another step, vato.”
“Let her go.”
“I’ll kill you.”
The Ranger in Spence was instantly summoned into action. Adrenaline surged. His heart pumped strong. His senses heightened. Everything went into slow mo. Spence closed the distance between them with a high-speed spin and kick. His first move—a downward slash—disarmed Julio.
Spence used his elbows and the side of his hand to tear Mollie away from her captor. She crashed to the ground. Awkwardly, she crawled toward Julio’s gun.
The two men faced each other without weapons. Using basic karate technique, Spence made quick work of disabling his foe. Julio collapsed to his knees.
An SUV drove between them. Before Spence could react, Julio jumped inside. With little regard for the people surrounding them, the SUV plowed forward. They were making their escape.
From the front of the barn, Spence heard Jamison and the others stage an assault. From his own experience, Spence recognized the technique of creating noise and confusion without putting his team in real danger.
Beside him, Mollie regained her footing. She braced herself. Using a two-handed grip, she aimed Julio’s SIG Sauer pistol at the retreating SUV. She looked tough and professional. Able to take care of herself.
Though her reckless escape from the third-floor room had broken her promise and might have resulted in disaster, he couldn’t be angry with her.
In a weird, disturbing way, he felt proud of this practical woman who rose to the occasion, trading blow for blow.
Even more impressive, her rational side took over.
She lowered the gun, shrugged and said, “I won’t fire into a crowd. ”
“Wise decision.”
“I’m sorry, Spence.” Her eyes remained oddly unfocused. “I shouldn’t have left the room or locked Thornton inside.”
He stifled a grin when he thought of the newly hired bodyguard with a military background trapped inside a storage room.
Thornton probably never expected to be duped by someone who looked as gentle and innocent as Mollie.
Carefully, Spence took the pistol from her and checked the safety. “Why did you stage a breakout?”
“I saw her.” Mollie’s face lit up. “She’s here. Madison is here.”
“I know.”
The shooting at the front of the barn came to an abrupt stop. Jamison, Rossi and the others had overwhelmed the two men who emerged from the barn with their hands raised over their heads. Spence watched them take the twosome into custody.
“Did I hear you right?” Mollie tapped the side of her head like a swimmer trying to clear water from her ears. “How do you know my sister is here?”
“I had a conversation with her.” He reached down to retrieve his glasses, which had fallen off while he fought Julio. The frame was bent, and he straightened it. “She’s been in touch with your father.”
“What? Why?” She shook her head. “Sorry, when those creeps grabbed me, they held a hankie to my nose. Weird smell. Sweet and yucky at the same time, like peaches when they go bad. I’m thinking it was something like chloroform.”
He agreed. The effects of chloroform, beyond disorientation and hallucinations, were unpredictable. The effects could last for minutes or for hours. “Did you pass out?”
“I don’t think so. I was numb but aware of my surroundings.”
“We’ll get you checked out by a doctor.”
When he placed his battered glasses back on his nose, she looked up at him and shook her head. “Just like that, you turned into Clark Kent. You know, Superman’s alter ego.”
“You must still be hallucinating.”
“Seriously, Spence. You were a total commando when you fought Julio.”
“Standard training.”
“Dad signed me up for all sorts of self-defense classes. I wasn’t great at any of them.”
“You were quick to pick up Julio’s gun,” he said.
“Blame it on survival instinct,” she said. “Remember how Quintana asked if I’d ever aimed a gun at another human being? Well, now I’ve done that. And she was right. Much as I despise Julio, I don’t think I could have pulled the trigger. Even if I’d had a clear shot, I’m not a killer.”
Not like her sister. He doubted Madison would hesitate before firing.
He wrapped his arm around Mollie’s shoulders, infinitely glad that she’d come through in one piece. “This is enough for one day. We’re going back to the safe house.”
“No argument from me.”
“Madison made a point of telling me that Julio was the person after you. She doesn’t wish you any harm.”
Mollie snuggled against his chest. “She could just call and tell me that. She’s avoiding me. Why is she talking to Dad?”
“The next time he calls, I’ll ask him.”
“My sister always thinks that she has to protect me, but it’s really the other way around. She dives into trouble over her head, and I’m supposed to pull her out before she drowns.”
That matched his impression of Madison. “Sounds about right.”
“But how am I supposed to help her when she keeps so many secrets? I mean, she pretended to be dead for five years. Never asked about my life. Never told me where she was living. Never mentioned the b—” She clapped her hand over her mouth to hold back her words.
“Never mentioned what?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
Obviously, she was hiding something, but so was he. He hadn’t told her about the kiss with Madison and decided that was probably for the best. This family had enough problems without adding more complications.
He changed topics. “Madison said we’d learn something important when we talked to the undercover agent, but she didn’t tell me what it was.”
“See what I mean? She’s no help at all.”
“She also told me that Youngblood was originally working for her, protecting you and your father in WITSEC.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “The marshals are supposed to protect me.”
“Madison claims they weren’t doing a good job in Salt Lake City. She stepped in and directed her men to eliminate the threat. She also sent you the teal dress.”
“Wish I’d kept the dress.”
All things considered, Mollie was handling things very well. No hysterics. No complaints. “Madison hired Youngblood, but now he’s working for Julio.”
“He was in the barn,” she said. “The dirty double-crosser.”
Instead of strolling toward the house and interacting with all the other people, he guided her to where his Escalade was parked. A lot had happened in the barn when she met with Julio, and he wanted to hear all about it.